
Wednesday
January 19
JESUS WON HEARTS BY HEALING BODIES (Matt. 10:7, 8).
What kind of ministry did Jesus combine with preaching
and teaching? Matt. 9:35.
The Greek verb
sozo,
usually translated "to save," is used a
number of times in the Gospels to mean "to heal." (See Matt.
9:22; Mark 6:56; 10:52; Luke 8:50; 17:19.) The healing ministry
of Jesus is an illustration of His power to save from sin. After
forgiving the sins of the paralytic who was let down through
the roof (Luke 5:18-20), Jesus answered the critical thoughts of
the scribes and Pharisees by asking: "Which is easier, to say,
'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?" (Luke
5:23, RSV). He added: "'But that you may know that the Son of
man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he said to the man
who was paralyzed—'I say to you, rise, take up your bed and
go home.' And immediately he rose before them" (Luke 5:24,
25, RSV). Jesus clearly stated that His act of healing was an
evidence of His power to forgive sins.
When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach, what else did
He command them to do? Matt. 10:7, 8.
"On the green hillslopes of Galilee, in the thoroughfares of
travel, by the seashore, in the synagogues, and in every other
place where the sick could be brought to Him, was to be found
His hospital. In every city, every town, every village, through
which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones
and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive
His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their
heavenly Father's love."—The
Ministry of Healing,
pp. 17, 18.
"The way in which Christ worked was to preach the word,
and to relieve suffering by miraculous works of healing. But I
am instructed that we cannot now work in this way; for Satan
will exercise his power by working miracles. God's servants
today could not work by means of miracles, because spurious
works of healing, claiming to be divine, will be wrought. . . .
Sanitariums are to be established, and with these institutions
are to be connected workers who will carry forward genuine
medical missionary work. . . . This is the provision the Lord
has made whereby gospel medical missionary work is to be
done for many
souls."—Medical
Ministry,
p. 14.
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